Electric water-heater.



E. C, WEBSTER.

ELECTRIC WATER HEATER.

Ar'mncmon man swr. sa. ma.

Infvntvd Svpt. 4. 1917.

UNITED ASTATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNESTiC, WEBSTER, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, vASSIGNOEI. 0F ONE-HALF TO HENRY GRUENHAGEN,

0F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC WATER-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

Application filed September 18, 1915. Serial No. 51,433.

1/ 'a all clio/nA it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST C. WEBSTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the 'county of Alameda and State. of California, have invented new and useful Improvements inv Electric Water- Heaters, of which the following is a speelfication.

The present invention relates to improvements in electric water heaters, and the objects of the invention are, in such a heater, to provide means for connecting the conducting wires to the electrodes which will absolutely prevent leakage of water around the connections; to insure good insulation; to heat a large volume of water with a heating surface of a given extent; to provide good contacts with the electrodes; to provide a construction by which the heater can be easily assembled and disassembled; to avoid the necessity of using binding screws for electric connections; and to use comparatively short terminal wires.

ln the .accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a broken side view of my improved electric water heater; Fig. 2 is a broken vertical section of the same; Fig. 3 is a cross section of the saine on the line 3`3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross section of the same on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, the handle being removed; Fig. 5 is a side view of a hollow contact.

llefel'rirg to the drawing, 1 indicates the main body of my improved electric water heater, bored vertically, to form a water supply conduit. L. vertically and horizontally to forni duit :L horizontallyto form a. valve seat 4,

also horizontally on one' side of the valve.

seat and at right angles thereto to form a cavity in which is received'an outlet conduit 5, also vertically to form a hot water outlet 'chamber communicating with said conduit 5. Screwed into said body opposite said outlet conduit is a nozzle 7, intov the inner cud of which the tip of the outlet` conduit extends. This latter construction prevents water from the outlet conduit 5 bucking up into the hot water outlet chamber 6, and above the same.

The middle portion of the valve seat is tapered, and fitting therein is a conical valve 8, pressed to its seat by a spring 9. An apertured plug 11 surrounds the stem 12 of the a crooked brauch water supply c0n` ner side with a lug 16, which is adapted toy engage either of secured by screws 18 heater. Said stops can vary the throw of the rection.

In said valve is an angular passage 19 so arranged that, when Athe handle extends horizontally forward, the lug 16 abutting against one of the stops 17, the ends of the passage communicate respectively with the water supply conduit 2 and the outlet conduit 5, and cold water Hows from, the nozzle. lVhen the handle is turned through nearly a right angle, so as to extend rearwardly and slightly .-upward, the lug 16 abutting against the other stop 17, the ends of thepassage 19 communicate respectively with the branch conduit 3, and with an extension 21 of the water supply conduitabove the valve and communicating with a heating chamber. When the handle extends upwardly and slightly forward, water from said heating chamber and' extension 21 drains through said passage into said outlet conduit 5.

Seated upon said body is a cylindrical block 22 of hard rubber, having therethrough a plurality of small ports 23 which communicate with the upper end of the extension 21 of the water sup ly conduit, which is made flaring. Said iiard rubber block has also an outlet port '26, which communicates with the chamber 6 in the body 1.

Said cylindrical block is formed with a concentric annular cavity and in said cavity is a short tubular contact 27, preferably of brass, and having a flange 28; In said block is also a. central cavity in which is a hollow contact 29 of similar metal, said contact being a tube closed at one end so as to be in lfh' torni" of a thimble. The hard rubber block is secured to said contacts by being molded around the same, and, for the purpose .of making the joint between the rubber and contacts absolutely water-tight, the surface of the contacts which is to be in con.- tact with the rubber is formed with recesses and projections, -as shown in Fig.- 5, those which I have found desirable being rhom- Iboidal or diamond-shaped in form. The

two stops 17 eccentrically to the body of the thus be adjusted to handle in either diand upon the rectangular outer end;

rubber is molded so as to entirely cover the contacts and extend above the same. Between the contacts the rubber block is formed with an annular de ression 31 and the ports lead from the bottom of said depression into the Haring upper end of the conduit 21. To said contacts 27 and 29, before they are embedded in the hard rubber, are secured the ends of conducting wires 32, and these wires are surrounded with insulating material where they pass from the hard rubber and into and through the block 1.

In the tubular contact 27 is pressed tightly, but detachably, a tubular electrode 33 of carbon or like conducting non-metallic material, and in the thilnble 29 is fitted tightly, but detachably, the reduced lower end of a cylindrical electrode 34 of like material, which is disposed centrally within the tube The upper ends of the carbon electrodes are maintained in their spaced .relation by means of a spider 35 of insulating material, a central stud 40 of which is fitted in a recess in the top of the central electrode 34:, while its legs engage the tubular electrode 33. Around the electrodes 33 and 34 is a tube 36 of glass or other non-conducting material closed at its upper end, the lower.

end having a flange 37 which rests upon the block of hard rubber, and surrounding the glass tube 36 is acylindrical casing 38, closed at its upper end, the lower end being fitted, as shown at 39, around the up er end of a tube 41, the lower end of W ich is screwed around the body 1, the ilpper end of the tube 41 having an inwardly extending {iange 42 which bears against a. rubber gasket 43, which in turn rests upon the flange 37 of the glass tube 36. Said outer casing 3S thus provides a heat-insulating airspace around the inner casing or tube 36 to prevent the escape of heat from the water heated by the electric current.

One great difficulty in constructing electric water heaters has been that the connecti-on between the conducting wires and the electrodes has not heretofore been made absolutely water-tight. Bv soldering or otherwise electrically connecting the conducting wires to .tbe metallic conductors', and by molding| the hard rubber about said conductors and Isaid conducting wires, leakage of water between the conductors and hard rubber is absolutely prevented.

further important advantage resulting from the above construction is that, since the electrodes are connected to the metallic conductors at the bottom, the upper portions bring free, the How of the water through the electric heater is facilitated, and a much greater heating surface can be used in proportion to the quantity of water tiowing lh rough the heater.

Moreover the apparatus can be very easily assembled and disassembled.

I also avoid the necessity of using binding screws tor the electrical connections; and since the terminal wires :lo not have to extend to the tops oi=` the electrodes but are connected to the bottoms thereof, said terminal wires may be comparatively short` l claim 1, In an electric water heater, the combination of a block of insulating material, a central metallic conductor and a tubular metallic conductor, around which said block is molded, a central electrode, a tubular electrode around said central electrode, said electrodes being secured respectively -to said conductors. and a casing around said electrodes, said electrodesbeing supported only at their lower ends, their upper ends being free.

2. In an electric water heater, the combination of a central electrode, a tubular electrode around the central electrode, rnetallic conductors connected to the-bottoms of Said electrodes. and insulating material molded around said conductors.

3. In an electric water heater, the oombination of a central electrode, a tubular electrode around the central electrode, metallic conductors aroundthe electrodes and making water-tight Velectrical connection with said elcctrmles. conducting wires connected to said metallic conductors, and insulating mater'al around said metallic conductors, electrodes and electric wires, and making vater-tight joints therewith.

4. ln an electric-water heater, the combination of electrodes extending parallel with cach other. an apertured non-conducting body to which said electrodes are secured at one end, an aperture in the body leading` into the space between the electrodes, and another a 'e1-ture leading into the space without the electrodes, Aand a single piece tubular casing closed at one end, the other end being secured to` said body and surrounding all of saidaperturcs.

Tn an electric water. heater, the combination of electrodes extending parallel with each other. an alwrtured non-conductingbody to which said electrodes arc secured at one end, an aperture in the body leading into the space between the electrodes, and another aperture leading into tho space without the electrodes. a single piece tubular casing closed at one vnd. the other end having an outwardly extending [lange abutting against said body', a'tubv surrounding said non-conducting body and having an inwardly extending flange engaging the outwardly extending flange of the casing and provided with means co-acting with said flanges for pressing the casing toward the non-conducting body and a gasket inter- 'posed between said flanges.

6. Twan electric water heater. the com binatiori of a hollow metallic conductor, a

my hand in the wltnesses.

presence of two subscribing ERN EST C. WEBSTER.

Witnesses FRANCIS D. B. RI

M. WRIGHT,

CHARDB-` 

